Looking for a new and exciting travel destination this year? Antigua and
Barbuda is definitely worth checking out for it's pristine waters, exciting activities and luxurious resorts.

Although the twin islands are a great destination for couples, they provide
an equal abundance of affordable, child-friendly options perfect for a summer
family trip. Best of all, Antigua and Barbuda’s current Summer Lovin’ campaign
lends itself as the best time to visit this tropical paradise. The Summer Lovin’ deal offers up to 50 per cent off on vacations booked during the summer months through certain travel companies, resorts and airlines.

One beautiful resort that happens to be discounted for the summer months is The Verandah Resort and Spa. It is one of the island's best family resorts featuring a mini-golf course, a huge outdoor playground, a
kid’s pool with a fountain and much more. Other discounted hotels include St. James’s Club & Villas and South Point
Antigua.

Among attractions in Antigua, you can find an extensive list of adventures and eco-tours to keep kids and yourself entertained for however
long you decide to stay. One of the top attractions besides the 365 beaches on
the island, is Nelson's Dockyard.

Nelson’s
Dockyard is a UNESCO Heritage Site with an excellent child-friendly museum and
a beautiful boardwalk with plenty of sights to admire.Another impressive attraction is Devil's Bridge. The legend here is that if you throw two eggs into the blowhole, the devil will keep one and throw the other back. A fun little excursion to pique your curiosity.

As for water activities, there is something for everyone! There are many exciting catamaran cruises, glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling at coral reefs or petting the rays at Stingray City.

For more information about Antigua and Barbuda please see below.

ABOUT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

Antigua (pronounced An-tee'ga) and Barbuda (Bar-byew’da) is located in
the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Voted the World Travel Awards 2015 and 2016
Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination, the twin-island paradise offers visitors
two uniquely distinct experiences, ideal temperatures year-round, a rich
history, vibrant culture, exhilarating excursions, award-winning resorts,
mouth-watering cuisine and 365 stunning pink and white-sand beaches - one for
every day of the year. The largest of the Leeward Islands, Antigua comprises
108-square miles with rich history and spectacular topography that provides a
variety of popular sightseeing opportunities. Nelson’s Dockyard, the only
remaining example of a Georgian fort a listed UNESCO World Heritage site, is
perhaps the most renowned landmark. Antigua’s tourism events calendar includes
the prestigious Antigua Sailing Week, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, and the
annual Antigua Carnival; known as the Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival.
Barbuda, Antigua’s smaller sister island, is the ultimate celebrity hideaway.
The island lies 27 miles north-east of Antigua and is just a 15-minute plane
ride away. Barbuda is known for its untouched 17 mile stretch of pink sand
beach and as the home of the largest Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Western
Hemisphere. Find information on Antigua & Barbuda at: www.visitantiguabarbuda.com [Source - Visit Antigua & Barbuda]

The Pint Public House has finally touched down in Toronto! This new 1,600 sq ft hot spot
will be the place to go for sports, food and late night fun. With over 40 flavours of wings and 40
different beers on tap, you’re bound to find a winning combo to enjoy while
watching the Jays, Raptors or Leafs on one of the many HDTV’s.

The menu
consists of good ol pub food such as burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and a few different salads. The wings and ribs really do
have 40 different ways of ordering them so your best best is to order a bunch of different flavours with friends and share them all. You can choose from flavours such as Memphis BBQ, Caribbean Jerk, Peri Peri, Kung Pao, Honey Sriracha and much more. There is also a handy little mild to hot scale beside each flavour for those who are looking to test their spice limits. As for drinks, they
are known for their incredible Caesar's and their extensive list of beers on
tap.

I had a
chance to check out the media night at The Pint and got a sneak peek of the tasty offerings.My favourite items were
the Kansas City BBQ Wings, Panko Deep Fried Pickles, Saucy Ribs and Sliders. I also enjoyed the tower of cupcakes which is always a nice touch of something sweet at the end of a meal. There were also some great drink sponsors such as Ace Hill Beer and Tromba Tequila serving up some of their signature drinks.

photos by Brian DaSilva

The Pint is
located at 277 Front Street, right near the Rogers Centre. Stop by before or after a Jays game for some great eats and drinks in the heart of the city! Be sure to tag your photos using the hashtag #PINTNATION @thepinttoronto

Toronto’s Festival of Beer is back on July 28th to July 30th for an
epic celebration of beers from around the world. The festival will feature over 416 different beers to sample, delicious food purveyors and
live entertainment from Method Man & Redman, Sloan and Great Big Sea’s Alan
Doyle & The Beautiful Gypsies.

I’ve been to
the Toronto Festival of Beer (TFOB) for the past 10 years and have always had a
wonderful time. It’s a great excuse to
get out and enjoy the sun, good beer, good company and live music. It really is one of the biggest and best beer
festivals in Toronto and each year the festival adds new and exciting
additions to keep things present and fresh.

photos from TFOB

Some
highlights for this year’s festival include:

Canada 150
Pavilion

To celebrate
Canada’s 150th birthday, the Canada 150 Pavilion will offer 48 different
beers from coast to coast. This is such
a GREAT addition to the TFOB because Canada truly does have an abundance of amazing
craft breweries. Breweries such as Big Rock, PEI Brewing Co.,
Blood Brothers, Le Trou Du Diable, Steamworks Brewing Co. and more will be
serving up some of their best beers all weekend long.

There will also
be culinary offerings at the Canada 150 Pavilion that will represent each of
the four regions (East Coast, West Coast, Ontario and Quebec). The East Coast and Quebec regions are being prepared
by Matt’s Seafood and the two other will be confirmed shortly.

#TasteTFOB

Time to
take the focus away from beer for a minute and appreciate the thriving Toronto food
scene.This year will feature some of Toronto’s
best chefs and restaurants serving up incredible dishes paired with their favourite
beers.Amongst the renowned food purveyors,
there will also be a grilling tent with some of Toronto’s big name chefs grilling
up some Canadiana cuisine.The full stage schedule and roster of chefs can be found on the TFOB website.

Tickets for
the event are sold out on Friday and Saturday but tickets are still available for Sunday:

The St.
Lawrence Market Summer Series is back this summer with two LIVE events on July
20th and August 24th.

This
incredible event gives guests two
opportunities to experience the St. Lawrence Market patio transformed into a
downtown oasis of food, drink, music, performance and celebration.

I had a chance to attend the inaugural summer series event last year and had a wonderful time (read the review). I remember it was the hottest day of the year, but it was an evening to remember with fun music, delicious food and ice cold drinks!

Tickets to
this event will sell out fast so be sure to get yours ASAP!

St. Lawrence Market is a renowned
international food market featuring 120 merchants, vendors and farmers,
offering the freshest produce, meats and specialty items. Serving residents of
Toronto and international visitors since 1803, the Market is regularly
recognized as one of Toronto's most popular destinations, and was ranked the
number one food market in the world by National Geographic.

About the Food Dudes

A dedicated, leading-edge hospitality
group.

The Food Dudes consistently raise the
bar by anticipating and fulfilling the dynamic needs of the modern metropolitan
client - a desire for fresh and local ingredients, sophisticated original fare
- all while providing a memorable culinary experience. The Food Dudes are Toronto’s most trusted hospitality specialists.

I am very
excited to announce the second series of the Yonge + St. Clair Midtown Market
taking place on Tuesday July 18th from 11 am to 7 pm at Delisle Ave
(behind 40 St. Clair West). This exciting farmers market experience is
welcoming to midtown folks such as myself who don’t have many options to choose from when
trying to shop from local and artisan vendors.

Toronto Market Co., together with Yonge + St. Clairintroduced this monthly
summer market last month (June 20th). This will be the second market of the summer,
with two more coming up on August 15 and September 19 (the third Tuesday of
each month).

I had a
chance to visit the market in June and was surprised to see how lively the Delisle parking lot was. Vendor booths
were set up along the perimeter of the lot, live musical performances were in
full force and the smell of delicious food permeated the air. I was SUPER excited to visit each vendor and
find out more about their products. There
were over 20 local vendors selling local cheese, vegan chocolate,
handmade soaps, plants, baked goods, fresh produce and more. Each vendor seemed to be quite passionate
about their products and were willing to share stories and samples of what they
were offering.

Here were
some of my favourites:

Yoso Yogurt

Oakridges Finest

Nana Pops

The Cheese Boutique

Spice of Life

Kungfu Dawg

Holy Cannoli

Inthisorn Foods

Printing Life Canada

Twig Flowers

Queen Arepa

Gold Apothecary

Good Luck Rub

Some vendors
will remain the same for this July 18th market and there will be
some new additions. If you live or work
in the midtown area then you’ll definitely want to stop by the midtown market
to check out the goods. It’s a welcoming
spot with lots of picnic benches to relax on and enjoy some of the great foods
offered at the market.

Toronto Market Co also hosts a number of other pop-up markets throughout the city such as Adelaide Eats food market, Yorkville Village Summer MRKT, Union Station Holiday Market and the Financial District farmers markets at Scotia Plaza and Royal Bank Plaza.

WHEN: July
18, August 15 and September 19 (the third Tuesday of each month), from 11 a.m.
to 7 p.m.